Planning Ahead - Winterizing Equipment

You will probably be mowing your lawn at least one more time this season. The experts don't seem to be recommending mowing it really short to go into the winter, but they don't want it overwintering when it's over-long either. Just keep mowing as usual when it needs it, and use your best fortune-telling skills to determine when the last time is.

After that, there's one more chore that's really pretty important - making sure your equipment goes into the winter properly cleaned up and prepared so it comes out in the springtime ready to go. Usually the mower does eventually start up, but doing a few essential preparations makes that spring start-up EVER so much easier, and sometimes a lot cheaper.

Some of the instructions you read make things sound SOOOO difficult. It looks like preparation for the winter will never be done. We have jobs and LIVES! Who has time to do all this stuff?

Well, if you plan ahead, you'll have what you need on hand and you'll have the job done before it's 15 degrees outside. If you decide to send you mower into the winter empty of fuel, plan ahead so you're simply using the fuel up, rather than having to remove it. Plan far enough ahead so you'll be running it dry on a day when it's not so freezing cold you can't start the engine up at all.

Some folks prefer to send the mower into the winter full of fuel which has been treated with a fuel preservative. Plan ahead for this one too, since the instructions say to run the moter for a few minutes to work the treated fuel through the engine.

After that, while the engine is still warm, is a good time to drain out the old oil and replace it. It's not a pleasant job, but it's not that difficult. Then check the spark plug, change or clean filters etc. - all more easily accomplished if you planned ahead and know where the mower instruction book is, have the necessary parts on hand and don't have to run off to the hardware store a couple times in the middle of the job!

Taking care of the engines is high priority. Try to at least cover the essentials. If you want next spring's outdoor work to start up especially smoothly, try also to find the time to take care of sharpening blades and cleaning up hand tools.

There's lots of information out there. Read the manuals. These web sites might also help:

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Master Gardeners are volunteers trained by Penn State Extension Horticulture Educators. Once they complete their training, they cooperate with service agencies and community groups on a wide range of gardening projects. Their talents and energies are directed toward providing a link between their community and Penn State Cooperative Extension and Outreach.